CALIFORNIA / Bush approves $10 million to rescue missions / Foes say they will sue to stop taxpayer support for religion

Edward Epstein, Chronicle Washington Bureau

Published
4:00 am PST, Wednesday, December 1, 2004

2004-12-01 04:00:00 PDT Washington -- President Bush signed legislation Tuesday authorizing up to $10 million in federal help over five years for restoring California's 21 historic missions, raising hope the two-centuries-old structures can be saved before they crumble.

The bill, sponsored by Democratic Sen. Barbara Boxer and Rep. Sam Farr, D- Carmel, requires the private California Missions Foundation to match the federal money. In all, the foundation aims to raise $50 million, but so far it has generated just about $4 million. Foundation officials hope the federal money will jump-start their fund-raising effort, and they're also trying to secure state bond funds.

Fund raising isn't the only obstacle the missions face. Advocates of the separation of church and state are threatening a lawsuit, claiming the expenditure of public funds on the wooden and adobe structures, 19 of which are still operating Roman Catholic churches, constitutes support for religion. The other two missions are state parks.

But backers say the missions, established under the supervision of Franciscan Brothers from 1769 to 1823, have an important secular function in explaining the European settlement of California and the American Indians' sometimes tragic interactions with those settlers.

About 5 million people a year visit the missions, which stretch from San Diego north to Sonoma and include San Francisco's Mission Dolores. California's public school fourth-graders study the missions' history in social studies classes.

"Sadly, many of these national treasures are crumbling before our eyes --

plagued by crumbling foundations, cracked tiles and dangerously old electrical systems," Farr said after the House gave final approval to the bill on Nov. 17 and sent it to Bush. "We've had to fight for this bill, but California's missions are worth it."

Congress was slow to act on the legislation for several reasons. Some members had concerns about the separation of church and state, which backers hope will be addressed by a requirement that before any federal money is spent the Justice Department must certify that none is going for religious purposes.

Federal money has helped restore other historic religious structures, such as the Old North Church in Boston and the Touro Synagogue in Newport, R.I.

Last spring, the Bush administration said money eyed for the missions would starve other historic preservation projects around the country.

And some Republicans apparently dragged their heels to avoid giving Boxer, who was easily re-elected on Nov. 2, an accomplishment she could present to voters.

Forty-eight of the state's 53 House members eventually signed as co- sponsors, giving the bill momentum.

With Bush's signature, opponents say they are considering a lawsuit.

"We appreciate the important role that these missions play in California's history," said The Rev. Barry Lynn of Americans United for Separation of Church and State. "But they are not museums -- they are houses of worship. The First Amendment protects taxpayers from having to support religion, and the California missions bill blatantly violates that principle."

But backers stress the missions' secular role.

"We're very much in favor of this money coming to California, especially for the missions that are really in bad shape," said Roy Stearns of the state Department of Parks and Recreation. It owns the La Purisima Concepcion mission in Lompoc (Ventura County) and Mission San Francisco Solano in downtown Sonoma, which was purchased by publisher William Randolph Hearst in 1926 and given to the state.

At the Mission San Jose in Fremont, curator Dolores Ferenz said federal and foundation money would help repair walls where cracked, peeling plaster is of undetermined age and improve security for artifacts.

The mission has received a state grant to pay for some reconstruction and in the mid-1980s raised $2.5 million to rebuild its church.

"Money from the government is always a big help," she said. "It seems every time we undertake fund-raising, the economy isn't doing well, and when the economy isn't doing well, and you're trying to fund-raise, it's frustrating.

"We're very grateful this bill has gotten as far as it has," she added.

Added Stearns, "Whether you like or dislike the role they played in California history, they did play a major role, and it's important to preserve them and make them available to the public."